The State Department issued guidance in November instructing employees to avoid citing human rights reports from organizations or media outlets that do not align with President Donald Trump’s executive orders regarding racial justice, restrictions on trans rights and related policies.
According to a cable reported by Politico, the State Department deems sources that “advance policies inconsistent with presidential executive orders, including promotion of ‘racial justice,’ ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’ and gender ideology” as not credible.
This instruction could impact the credibility of numerous organizations, including major human rights groups like Amnesty International, which publicly supports initiatives like DEI, and news outlets like The Latest York Times.
The guidance arrives as the Trump administration has already taken steps to reshape the State Department’s human rights reporting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly directed the department to focus only on rights “given to us by God, our creator,” and to condemn medical treatments like abortion and gender-affirming care.
The administration’s actions extend to personnel changes, with a lawsuit alleging that Black women were disproportionately represented among federal employees purged last year. Any company with non-discriminatory hiring practices could be found in violation of Trump’s orders against inclusion.
Critics argue that the new guidance effectively disregards a wide range of human rights violations, as groups reporting on these issues are likely to also promote policies related to racial justice and trans rights.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Politico that “gender ideology and DEI ideology perpetuate practices categorized by the State Department as human rights abuses.”
Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and former USAID official, criticized the cable, stating that the State Department “won’t cite the work of human rights groups if they affirm the rights of all humans.” The House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats’ X account condemned the reports as “MAGA fanfic.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the State Department cable instruct employees to do?
The cable instructed employees not to cite reports on human rights abuses from organizations or media outlets that don’t comply with President Trump’s orders on racial justice or restrictions on trans rights.
What does the State Department consider to be non-credible sources?
The State Department deems sources that advance policies inconsistent with presidential executive orders, including promotion of “racial justice,” “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and “gender ideology” as not credible.
Who criticized the State Department’s guidance?
Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and former USAID official, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats criticized the guidance.
As the administration continues to redefine its approach to human rights reporting, what impact will these changes have on the United States’ standing on the international stage?
